Can I have a dropdown list and original data in the same cell?

Question

I have a dropdown list in a cell to choose the frequency of an action. My dropdown has Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Annually, and Annually. Some users want to be able to add their own frequency. Can I have a dropdown with choices, but if the user wants to add their own data in the cell, they can still type their own data?

Another cell I have a list of tasks they completed. I have a dropdown of different choices, but sometimes they completed a one-time task and I need them to be able to type in a custom explanation in that cell.

Can I have two settings as the validation? Both Lists and Any Value?

Answer 1

Hi Tugboat Business Solutions

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

If you're looking to create a dropdown list in Excel that offers predefined choices while still allowing users the flexibility to enter their own custom values, there's a simple and effective way to do this.

After setting up the column with your dropdown list using Data Validation, make sure to disable the 'Error Alert' feature. This ensures that users can either select from the list or type in a custom entry without receiving an error message.

Here's how to set it up:

First Select the cell you wish to configure the "Drop-down lists"> Navigate to "Data" tab> choose "Data Validation"

Go to the "Error Alert" tab> Uncheck “Show error alert after invalid data is entered” >

Finally, click the "OK" button 

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